Sodwana Bay dive instructor Sli Mbuyazi has been recognised with a 2026 Wayfinder Award for helping communities reconnect with the ocean and marine conservation.
South Africa (10 June 2026) – For many people, the ocean is a place of wonder. A vast blue world filled with life, mystery and possibility.
But for others, the sea can feel distant. Sometimes frightening. Sometimes inaccessible. Sometimes simply not a space they feel belongs to them. Silindile “Sli” Mbuyazi is working to change that.
The Sodwana Bay-based dive instructor, marine educator and community leader has spent years helping people discover a new relationship with the ocean, one built on confidence, curiosity and connection. Now, her remarkable efforts have earned international recognition, with the National Geographic Society naming her a recipient of its prestigious 2026 Wayfinder Award.
Presented annually to just 15 changemakers from around the world, the award celebrates individuals whose work is advancing science, conservation, education, technology and storytelling while helping people better understand and protect our planet.
For Sli, the honour reflects a journey that began with overcoming her own fears.
After losing two family members to drowning, the ocean became a source of anxiety rather than adventure. Yet instead of turning away from the water, she chose to face those fears head-on. In doing so, she discovered a calling that would go on to impact hundreds of lives.
Today, Sli is a dual-certified SSI and PADI dive instructor and divemaster who leads dive labs at Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF)‘s eKhaya Storytelling, Research & Dive Centre in Sodwana Bay, which is supported by the National Geographic Society through the Africa Refocused programme. Her work is about far more than teaching people how to scuba dive.
South Africa’s relationship with the ocean is complex. Decades of exclusion and limited access during apartheid created barriers that extended beyond geography. In many communities, generations grew up disconnected from the coastline, with cultural fears and historical inequalities shaping how people viewed the sea.
Sli recognised that rebuilding this relationship would require more than opening a door. It would require helping people feel that they belonged in these spaces.
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Some have gone on to document marine life through film. Others have expanded their conservation work beneath the surface. Some have even established their own dive centres, helping to spread knowledge and opportunity further into their communities.
While much of her work focuses on exploration and conservation, Sli is equally passionate about water safety.
Her next venture, the Indoni Yamanzi Lifeguard Academy, aims to equip young people with critical lifesaving skills while inspiring future generations of ocean advocates, lifeguards and marine professionals. It is a vision rooted in empowerment rather than exclusion. A belief that the ocean should not be a source of fear but a place of learning, discovery and belonging.
As the National Geographic Society announced this year’s Wayfinder Award recipients, it praised Sli for her commitment to shifting cultural narratives about the sea, improving water safety and inspiring the next generation of ocean explorers and protectors.
It is high praise, but anyone familiar with her work in Sodwana Bay will know that the recognition has been well earned.
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